diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/AbstractEndpointParser.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/AbstractEndpointParser.java
index 84e4fb1245..5027d0ed05 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/AbstractEndpointParser.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/AbstractEndpointParser.java
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractEndpointParser extends AbstractSingleBeanDefinitio
 			ManagedList interceptors = parser.parseInterceptors(interceptorsElement, parserContext);
 			builder.addPropertyValue("interceptors", interceptors);
 		}
+		this.postProcess(element, parserContext, builder);
 	}
 
 	private String parseAdapter(String ref, String method, Element element, ParserContext parserContext) {
@@ -118,6 +119,12 @@ public abstract class AbstractEndpointParser extends AbstractSingleBeanDefinitio
 		return adapterBeanName;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Subclasses may implement this method to provide additional configuration.
+	 */
+	protected void postProcess(Element element, ParserContext parserContext, BeanDefinitionBuilder builder) {
+	}
+
 	protected abstract Class<? extends MessageEndpoint> getEndpointClass();
 
 	protected abstract Class<?> getMethodInvokingAdapterClass();
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/RouterParser.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/RouterParser.java
index b74522d9df..8aacf80681 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/RouterParser.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/RouterParser.java
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@
 
 package org.springframework.integration.config;
 
+import org.w3c.dom.Element;
+
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.BeanDefinitionBuilder;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.ParserContext;
 import org.springframework.integration.endpoint.MessageEndpoint;
 import org.springframework.integration.router.MethodInvokingChannelResolver;
 import org.springframework.integration.router.RouterEndpoint;
@@ -37,4 +41,9 @@ public class RouterParser extends AbstractEndpointParser {
 		return MethodInvokingChannelResolver.class;
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	protected void postProcess(Element element, ParserContext parserContext, BeanDefinitionBuilder builder) {
+		IntegrationNamespaceUtils.setReferenceIfAttributeDefined(builder, element, "default-output-channel");
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/spring-integration-core-1.0.xsd b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/spring-integration-core-1.0.xsd
index 8a5f1d5cd4..2d151d976e 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/spring-integration-core-1.0.xsd
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/spring-integration-core-1.0.xsd
@@ -333,12 +333,19 @@
 		</xsd:complexType>
 	</xsd:element>
 
-	<xsd:element name="router" type="inputEndpointType">
+	<xsd:element name="router">
 		<xsd:annotation>
 			<xsd:documentation>
 	Defines a Router.
 			</xsd:documentation>
 		</xsd:annotation>
+		<xsd:complexType>
+			<xsd:complexContent>
+				<xsd:extension base="inputEndpointType">
+					<xsd:attribute name="default-output-channel" type="xsd:string"/>
+				</xsd:extension>
+			</xsd:complexContent>
+		</xsd:complexType>
 	</xsd:element>
 
 	<xsd:element name="splitter" type="inputOutputEndpointType">
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/RouterParserTests.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/RouterParserTests.java
index 566d4ea1d1..99ed814353 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/RouterParserTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/RouterParserTests.java
@@ -50,4 +50,20 @@ public class RouterParserTests {
 		assertNull(output1.receive(0));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testRouterWithDefaultOutputChannel() {
+		ClassPathXmlApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
+				"routerParserTests.xml", this.getClass());
+		context.start();
+		MessageChannel input = (MessageChannel) context.getBean("inputForRouterWithDefaultOutput");
+		PollableChannel output1 = (PollableChannel) context.getBean("output1");
+		PollableChannel output2 = (PollableChannel) context.getBean("output2");
+		PollableChannel defaultOutput = (PollableChannel) context.getBean("defaultOutput");
+		input.send(new StringMessage("99"));
+		assertNull(output1.receive(0));
+		assertNull(output2.receive(0));
+		Message<?> result = defaultOutput.receive(0);
+		assertEquals("99", result.getPayload());
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/routerParserTests.xml b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/routerParserTests.xml
index 739748c331..ba29f2be61 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/routerParserTests.xml
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/routerParserTests.xml
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 
 	<channel id="input"/>
 
+	<channel id="inputForRouterWithDefaultOutput"/>
+
 	<channel id="output1">
 		<queue capacity="1"/>
 	</channel>
@@ -19,8 +21,16 @@
 		<queue capacity="1"/>
 	</channel>
 
+	<channel id="defaultOutput">
+		<queue capacity="2"/>
+	</channel>
+
 	<router id="router" ref="pojo" method="route" input-channel="input"/>
 
+	<router id="routerWithDefaultOutputChannel" ref="pojo" method="route"
+			input-channel="inputForRouterWithDefaultOutput"
+			default-output-channel="defaultOutput"/>
+
 	<beans:bean id="pojo" class="org.springframework.integration.router.config.TestRouter"/>
 
 </beans:beans>